Riding breeches and the like



Feb. 7, 1939; s. ADAMSON' 2,146,494

RIDING BREECHES AND THE LIKE Fi led Sept. 11, 1936 IN VENT OR.

A ORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES I RIDING BREEOHES AND THE LIKE Seth Adamson, Rye, N. Y.,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to United States Rubber Com-- pany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application Septemberll, 1936, Serial No. 100,288

' 3' Claims. (01. 2-228) This invention relates to outer garments ofthe type in which the leg portions are shaped to fit snugly about the calf and knee of the wearer, and the present invention is directed more particularly to riding breeches, jodhpurs, and what may be called industrial breeches such as are frequently worn by attendants of automobile filling stations, chauffeurs and others.

In garments of the type to which the present invention relates, "it has been important heretofore that the leg portion in the vicinity of the calf and knee be carefully shaped and fitted to conform snugly to this portion of the leg. If a tight fit is not provided about the calf and knee of the wearer the legs of the garment may tend to slide down when the wearer is. walking or standing, and may tend to ridejup when the wearer is on horse back. On the other hand if the garment fits the leg of the wearertoo tightly it will be uncomfortable and will interfere with the free bending of the knee It is found-that persons having the same size waist measures may have very different leg measures, so that a pair of ready made breeches having the proper waist measure will very likely need to be specially fitted to secure the proper fit about the calf and knee. .This special fitting of the legs of the garment is time consuming'and expensive and frequently necessitates a delay in delivering the garment to the user.

Furthermore, ridingibre'eches and'the industrial breeches above referred to have commonly been provided heretofore with a number of buttons and button holes or otherfastening means along each leg for fastening and unfastening the garment about the calf and knee of the wearer. The necessity of providing these fasteningmeans heretofore has added to the cost of such garments.

Having in mind the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a construction whereby the leg portions of breeches,'jodhpurs and the like are caused to fit the wearer snugly and comfortably without the need of being specially fitted to the wearer, and without requiring the use of buttons or other fastening means along the calf portion of the leg.

One important feature of the present inventionresides in breechesjodhp'urs or the like in which each leg of the garment is formed in the vicinity of the calf and knee largely of a woven elasticv fabric having a long stretch so that the contrac-..

tive force ofthe elasticl fabric about the leg will cause this portion of each leg of the garment to fit the leg of the wearer snugly and comfortably. This novel construction not only provides a highly, satisfactory fit of the legs of the garment about the legs of the wearer, but eliminates the necessity of carefully measuring and fitting this part of the garment to the wearer.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in the construction whereby the above mentioned elastic fabric extends over the knee-cap of the wearer to thereby relieve the tension at the knee of the garment when the wearer bends his leg, and afurther feature resides in a construction in which the elastic and nonelastic portion of the garment are practically indistinguishable in appearance.

The above and other features of the invention will be further understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating good practical forms thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a pair of ladies riding breeches constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a pair of ladies jodhpurs having the construction of the present invention.

' Figure 3 is a rear view of the lower portion of the garment of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. l, and

Figure 5 is a'plan View of a piece of woven elastic fabric well adapted for use in making the construction of the present invention.

The upper portion of the breeches, jodhpurs or the like may have the usual or any preferred construction. The garment shown in Fig. 1 has the front panels I connected to each other along the vertical central seam 2 and these panels are secured to the back panels 3 along the vertical side seams 4. The back panels 3 are secured to each other along the central rear seam 5. The side seams 4 terminate some distance below the waist band 6 to provide for fastening means such as buttons 1 and botton holes 8 in the vicinity of the hips.

As will be apparent from Fig. 1, the front panels I terminate above the knee of the wearer along the inclined seam 9, and each rear panel 3 has a comparatively narrow portion ID that extends downwardly to the lower end of the garment, which is usuallya position about 3 above the ankle bone of the wearer. The front panels I and rear panels 3 are secured to each other from a point adjacent the crotch downwardly along the seams H.

The construction so far described is or may be formed of a non-elastic material such as ordinary woven fabric and it will be noted that each rear panel'3 has a comparatively narrow vertical strip III, which strip may have substantially the same width as the leather or other patch l2 with which riding breeches are frequently provided to receive the wear caused'by the pressure of the rider's knees against the saddle.

When the construction of the present invention preferably.

is employed in connection with a pair of breeches such as shown in Fig. 1, it is contemplated that the major portion of the leg of the garment ex tending downwardly from a point above the knee to the bottom of the garment will be formed of a woven elastic fabric having a long stretch in the leg encircling direction. 7 garment is indicated by l3 and it should be noted that one vertical edge of the elastic fabric 13 as shown in Fig. 1 is secured to an edge of the non-elastic strip H] by the front seam it, which seam may lie adjacent to or slightly under an edge of the patch 2. The other vertical edge of the elastic fabric I3 is secured to an edge of the non-elastic strip H) by the rear seam 15. As a result of this construction the patch 112 overlies the non-elastic strip). l

The elastic fabric 33 is shown as extending along the outside of thigh and extending downwardly in a diagonal direction towards the inseam II. This construction serves to increase the stretch of the leg portion of the garment over the knee cap, and also serves to unite elastic and non-elastic fabrics so that the latter will not appreciably interfere with the stretch of the former adjacent this seam. The elastic leg portion. I3 may be provided withtheouter seam iii to improve the fit of this elastic portion. In order to make clear in the drawing that the elastic fabric extends upwardly above the knee cap of the wearer the position of the knee cap-has been indicated by (12.

An elastic fabric well adapted for use in carrying out the present invention is shown in Fig. 5 as formed of elastic threads 5'! extending in one direction and non-elastic threads 18 extending at right angles thereto, and the fabric shown may be formed entirely of elastic wefts and non-elastic warps. It is important, however, that the fab ric have a long stretch such for example as a elongation, and the elastic fabric preferably closely resembles the non-elastic fabric in appearance so v that. the two fabrics are practically indistinguishable -in appearance in the finished garment. The elastic threads H are formed of velastic yarn such as disclosed and claimed in theAdamson Patent No.

In breeches in which the protecting patches 1 2 are omitted the legs of the breeches may be formed of the elastic portions i3 and non-elas tic portions It as above described, but if desired the long vertical non-elastic portion iii may be omitted, in which case the leg portion of the garment in the vicinity of the calf and knee may be formed entirely of the elastic fabric 3..

The jodhpurs illustrated in .Figure 2 may be constructed the same as above described in connection with Figure 1,'except forv the increase in the length of the legs of the garment. The

jodhpurs are shown as having the back panels 3 cut to provide the long downwardly extending non-elastic strips 59. The rest of each leg por tion from a point above the knee to the lower end of the garment is preferably formed of a 'woven elastic fabric such as I 3. The legs of the jodhpurs may be provided with the cuffs 20 and straps 2! as usual.

By construction each leg portion of the garment of an elastic fabric that extends more than 'half way around the leg from'a point above the knee to the lower end of the garment and by employing a fabric having a long stretch, each leg 1 of the garment unnecessary. This portion of the the leg well up upon. the

portion throughout this area will have a stretch of several inches. This will be sufiicient to cause such leg portion to conform to the shape and size of different size legs throughout a substantial range, thus making special fitting of this portion It also eliminates the necessity of providing button and buttonholes or other fastening means in the vicinity of the knee, and the stretch of the elastic fabric l3 will make the leg portions of the garment easier'for the wearer to put the garment on and take it 01f. The present construction, whereby a stretch of the fabric across the knee of the wearer is secured, makes the garment more comfortable and prevents it from exerting an uncomfortable binding pressure at the bend of the leg.

It will be understood that the present invention is applicable not only to the garments shown, but to various garments of the breeches type that fit snugly about the calf and knee of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. A pair of breeches or jodhpurs formed for the most part of non-elastic'fabric to fit the waist of the wearer and loosely embrace the hips and thighs, and having leg portions adapted snugly to embrace the wearers calves and knees, each leg portion being formed from a point above the knee to a point below the calf primarily of a woven elastic fabric extending. around the outside of the leg and over the knee cap to stretch in the leg encircling direction, said elastic leg embracing portion being secured to the non-elastic thigh embracing portion by a diagonal seam extending downwardly from a point well above the knee at the outside of the leg to a point slightly above the knee near the inside of the leg.

2. A pair of breeches or jodhpurs formed for the most part of non-elastic fabric to fit the waist of. the wearer and loosely embrace the hips and thighs, and having leg portions adapted snugly to'embrace .the wearers calves and knees, each leg portion beingformed from a point above the knee to a point below the .calf primarily of a woven elastic fabric extendingaround the outside of the leg and over the knee cap to stretch in the leg encircling direction, each leg portion having a saddle gripping patch along the inside of the leg, and said elastic leg embracing portion being secured to the non-elastic thigh embracing portion by a diagonal seam extending downwardly from a point well above the knee at the outside of the leg to a point slightly above the .knee adjacent said patch.

3. A pair of breeches or jodhpurs formed for the most part of non-elastic fabric to fit the waist of the wearer and loosely embrace the hips and thighs, and having leg portions adapted snugly to embrace the wearers calves and knees, each leg portion being formed from. a point above the knee to a point below the calfprimarily of a woven elastic fabric extending around the outside of the leg and over the knee cap and having the seams thereof closed without the use of fastening meanssaid elastic leg embracing portion being secured to the non-elastic thigh embracing portion by a diagonal seam extending downwardly from a point well above the knee at the outside of the leg to a point slightly above the knee near the inside of the leg.

SETH ADAMSON. 

